(ACT 1) BARD SONG: A BG3 FANFICTION

𝕲𝖚𝖎𝖑𝖙

Aera sat up against a tree by a nearby pond, staring down at the small painting of her mother and father.

Through the painting, she could see herself in both of them. She had her father's deep purple eyes, but her mother's tanned skin.  She had freckles from her mom, her mom's face shape, but her dad's lips. The one attribute that was hers alone was her hair. Her hair did not match her mom's black or her dad's white, instead a mousy brown.

She'd never met her mother.

She'd passed away in childbirth, Aera coming into the world with an immediate string of bad luck. Her father had never let on that he blamed her, but Aera felt it within herself, felt the guilt of taking something away from her and her father. Why had her first breath been coupled with the last breath of someone who was meant to love and take care of her?

Aera saw it as punishment. For what she did not know. Since then, she'd been through so much that she thought that perhaps this was her karma for taking something so beautiful out of the world.

Her mother was beautiful. She was human so it boggled Aera how flawless she was. Her father was the same way, a tall, muscular, pale skinned elf. They were almost polar opposites.

Aera wished she had an ounce of the beauty either of them held.

Aera sat back, staring out at the pond, enjoying the wind on her face.

There were times when she was with Devor where she'd be getting beaten, raped, or even just left in the dark for hours, days on end. Sometimes, when she felt really broken, she'd call out for her mom. She'd never met the woman, but she wanted nothing more than to be comforted and held. Something she never really got.

She wondered where her father was.

A rustling of leaves pulled her from her thoughts. She turned around to see Gale making his way over to her.

She gave him an acknowledging nod, her heart swelling at the sight of him.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Gale asked, sitting down next to her. He was dressed down to a loose, black, v neck top and some dark pants. The orb mark was fully exposed.

"I was just taking some time to myself," Aera replied, crossing her legs.

"I can go if you'd like?" He asked. "I don't mean to be so intrusive."

"Not at all," Aera said. She looked over at him. "Please stay."

He smiled softly, then sat back against the same thick tree trunk she was. "Oh, actually..."

He jumped up and began picking up some branches. As he did so, he began snapping them in half. Aera watched curiously.

Gale made a quick cone with the sticks, then casted fireball, the sticks took to the flame, and before long they had a fire. "Ah, I can't forget this..."

He grabbed a bottle of wine and two goblets from behind the tree trunk. She hadn't noticed it when he first came over, but she nodded in approval. She'd begun getting used to the taste of red wine over her time with the group. "Hells, you read my mind."

"I'm glad to hear it. It's not the best, but it'll do."

He popped the bottle open, then poured them both a hefty portion of the red wine. Gale handed her one of the goblets carefully, then sat back, relaxing.

"That painting is new," Gale said after a short sip. "I've yet to see you with it."

Aera took a sip of wine herself, the tart liquid making her cringe a bit. As she brought the goblet down to her lap, she nodded. "I haven't looked at it in a while. It's my parents."